Normally in the run-up to Christmas, I’ll got to Birmingham Christ shopping to have a mooch and visit the German Market, and often, I feature photosets from that on the blog.

This year, I had occasion to be in Leeds Friday week ago, a city I’ve always loved. So having got a few things done that I needed, I wandered around the shops, arcades and their German market – an identikit version of Birmingham’s – and gave the camera some exercise.

Leeds has some great architecture, including the extraordinary Corn Exchange, now a sort of shopping centre and arts/food space which I’m sad to say wasn’t as fully occupied as I’d have hoped, but it does have some fantastic shops; and some rather excellent Polish street food.

Elsewhere, the arcades of the Victoria Quarter are gorgeous at Christmas and so are the markets, some too the best I know and still doing quite well.

In the late 80s lost band The Parachute Men wrote about Leeds at the time I was discovering it for myself. They namecheck some great places, including the iconic Queens Hotel.

1980s lost indie band The Parachute Men sing about being home. The emotion transcends place, I feel.

If you get chance to visit Leeds, do. It sort of lives in the shadow of nearby Harrogate which is sad as it’s a remarkable place in it’s own right.

I’ve been meaning to post this set all week, so that gives some indication of the backlog at Bob Towers.